A convoy of police vehicles with flashing lights rolled out to meet the suspect. Half a dozen men escorted him down the stairs of the plane and into a minivan. Armed guards stood by.

"We're extremely happy with the result today," Cmdr Lafreniere said. "This is not the end of the investigation. We're missing an important part of the investigation which is the head of the body."

He said they hope to help the family mourn by telling them where the head is.

Cmdr Lafreniere said Magnotta's return went smoothly. He called the military flight an extraordinary measure but said there was no way they were going to bring him back on a commercial flight with other people sitting on board.

Magnotta, 29, will appear in court, Cmdr Lafreniere said. A defence lawyer is likely to be designated then, said Rene Verret of Quebec's prosecutors' office.